Good year for Kemira Agro as profits climb

24 January 1994 00:00  [Source: ICB]

KEMIRA UNIT Kemira Agro expects to post 1993 full-year operating profit up 3-4% from FM1.4bn ($248.7m) in 1992 and net sales 'up slightly' from FM11.2bn.

The company disclosed that domestic deliveries rose 10% in volume terms to 806 000 tonne. Despite a weak global market Kemira Agro's fertiliser business performed better than expected in 1993.

Plant manager at the Uusikaupunki site, Seppo Pirinen, said, 'The volume of fertiliser exports dropped slightly year-on-year but only because capacity was insufficient to meet demand after the closure of the Kokkola site.' He said the value of exports actually increased. Pirinen noted that exports are expected to increase again in 1994 with the exploitation of new markets in the US, the Baltic states, Japan and Malawi.

Pirinen said that this year Kemira Agro will concentrate on plant nutrient research where 'new products must be developed in order to keep pace with the competition'.

Botho Simolin, head of communications at parent Kemira, said results at all the company's independent units had improved. He said the chemicals division, Kemira Chemicals, 'had a good year in sales' and the performance of the paints unit Tikkurila was 'quite good'.

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